OK. Which answer did you found posititve?
I would love to see you succeed. There may be a chance to some success, but it probably needs a very balanced approach. I guess that you don't have HP and mass too much to spare, therefore I would check what are minimum limits on DOC, feed, and speed that data sheet allows and which one of them can be reduced further. Anyway, even if it does not work you have a chance of learning a great deal.
That might work on some exotic materials good enough, even if it is not feasible to steel. Once I had really nasty brass to turn and normal sharp HSS geometries were not producing any good finish. I gave one good swipe to cutting end to give a little negative angle to top of the rake. It worked great, nothing original I found out later......but it got it done!
I had a choice of one particular insert, it had two different configurations, other had greatly desirable properties, but it would have needed DOC and power I did not have, therefore I choose another format (very traditional rake and approach, no viper geometries etc.) because it was most my machine could handle. Downside was that it is fragile on manual feed, automatic feed is better.
My two euro cents,
Pekka
